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Setup:
Amazon tanks are very interesting and if you are an aquarist you have kept some sort of fish from the Amazon. It is often more fun for aquarists so create this type of tank because their creative plant landscaping comes out. Because lots of plants are needed, many other things need to come into consideration. Please think out what you want to do, before you do it.
Filter:
A strong filter is needed because of the amount of fish in your tank. Plants need the fish to live, you need a lot of plants, therefore you need a lot of fish, and the filter needs to be strong enough to clean up after “X” number of fish. My filter on my 75 gallon (tall) aquarium filters over 120 gallons per hour. It is an over hang filter which isn’t necessarily the best, but is next to best. DO NOT use an underground filter. There are 2 reasons why this isn’t the best idea. Plants need to take root to be happy and with an underground filter the root get damaged because they grown under the filter. Eventually after the tank is well established, too much stuff will be built up under the filter and kill discus, angelfish, and rams. These fish need very clean water and an underground filter isn’t getting rid of the food and fish waist, instead it is storing it within the tank. The best way to go is to have a wet dry filter which is basically the same as an over head filter, but keeps wanted bacteria better.
Tank:
The size of your tank is very important. Discus and angelfish need tall aquariums. They just do. They are tall fish and need the swimming space. Tall aquariums are usually 25 ½in tall. Discus and angelfish need about 10 gallons per fish. When it comes to these fish it is best to get them in groups of 3 or 4 due to aggression. This is adding up to quite a large tank now. Tetras grow about 1 –2in on average. And because they are schooling fish you need a lot of them. If you had 4 angelfish, which equals a 40gallon tank, then you could also throw in a school of tetras. So just because a large fish needs 10 gallons, doesn’t mean tetras cant share that space with them.
Stand:
The stand isn’t a huge thing to worry about unless you are really wanting it to match décor to a room. It needs to be strong enough to hold the weight of a tank. It is best to get a stand made just for you tank. Wood stands are better than iron. Iron will rust and turn carpet orange, plus they aren’t as strong.
Heating/thermometer:
Discus only tanks should be kept at 86 degrees.
All other Amazon tanks should be kept at 82 degrees. Angelfish and tetras prefer this. Angelfish can go into warmer temperatures but tetras prefer 82 degrees. The temperature is very important so monitor it quickly with a thermometer and don’t let it fluctuate too much. Make sure there are no fans on it or windows near it with too much direct sun light.
Lighting:
Okay, I will try not to lose you here. Lighting is important and you need a strong fluorescent light. Your plants need the light, but your fish don’t like it. But the fish need the plants…what do you do? Tetras and discus prefer dimmed lighting. Tall plants and floating plants will help this out but will still offer enough lighting for you lower plants. Most likely the lower plants don’t need quite as much lighting anyway. Remember that most South American plants can have medium to high light. Play around with it and try to create something in the interest of both the plants and the animals.
Hood/cover:
You must have a cover of some sort! If you keep the type of tetra called a hachetfish, then you it is a MUST. Hatchetfish come from the Amazon and in the wild they jump into the air and catch gnats. Obviously they will jump in your tank. I have also had some other tetras get freaked out by a charging angelfish and fly out of the tank. I do not have a hood because I find it harder to get in and out of the tank. Instead I have a glass cover. The covers also help to keep in the heat that is needed in the water. Remember that heat rises.
Oxygenation:
In the wild there is little oxygen in their water. But don’t bother looking at the last sentence too closely. You need to have a lot of air in your tank. With all the fish in your tank the last thing you want is a lack of oxygen. I have two, one foot long, air stones on both sides of the tank. Remember the more plants that you have the more oxygen will be produced. If you fish start sucking air from the top then there is a clue you need more oxygen or the amount of fish you have is too high.
Chemistry:
The Amazon has very soft acidic water.
PH needs to be from 6.0-6.8
6.8 is even a little on the high end of how the water needs to be, and if you keep discus it needs to be at the most 6.5. This is very important and to keep it this soft is harder than it sounds. Pete moss and driftwood can help to soften the water. Driftwood is needed as it is, so you are doing yourself a big favor by using it as your decor. RO water is a good replacement. It is clean, soft, and cheap. Although it lacks the nutrients that are needed for plants, RO is what most pet stores use in their discus tanks. To keep the nutrients in the water you need to add in chemicals to keep your plants looking healthy.
In the wild the amount of dead leaves and animals makes the amonia in the water naturally high. In the home aquarium, amonia kills. It is very hard to keep the amonia at zero all the time with the amount of plants kept in the tank. The best thing to do with high amonia, or for that matter any problems in the water, is to do water changes. Water changes. Water changes. More water changes. Clean water is very important. The fish kept in this tank are hard to keep, and clean water will help them in staying stress free.
Amonia, nitrates, and nitrites should be as close to zero as possible. Fluctuation is acceptable, but be wear if you keep discus, cardinals, rummy nose, or rams. They all have higher chances in becoming stressed and getting disease. So with that in mind, and if you haven't been scared away from the hobby or this type of tank, then good luck!
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